I did not have the patience for all this waiting bullshit. I was told to calm down and be patient more than once by more than one of the pack members, but it didn’t stop me pacing around restlessly. The pain in my belly didn’t matter to me. It was nothing compared to what Fate could be feeling. My restlessness ended up spooking the more skittish wolves in the pack. I removed myself from the house and carried on with my pacing outside in the garden.

"Lazarus, you'll worry yourself into an early grave if you're not careful.” Line had followed me outside, watching me. I grunted, too busy thinking of a way to get Fate back to really pay any attention to him. "Lazarus, listen to me," he said sternly. I stopped and looked at him, taking the opportunity to light a cigarette. God knows I needed it. "Pacing around won't get Fate back."

"Pacing helps me think,” I informed him curtly. In all honesty, having had all my military past dragged up so recently, I’d found it frighteningly easy to snap straight into soldier mode, formulating a plan like clockwork. He didn’t say anything and I went back to my mental game of chess that held Fate’s life in the balance, and possibly the rest of the pack too. I went back to pacing, frowning to myself. I could feel Line watching me, but I didn’t care. It was much like being watched by a private as I tried to decide what to do next.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

“I can’t decide what would work best. It’s a trap, so they’ll be expecting us, so we can’t rush them, we’ll have no surprise advantage, especially with the second night of the full moon coming up,” I muttered. I could already feel my wolf trembling inside of me. “And Gen was right, none of us are in any state to attack anyway. If we all went, more than Fate’s or my life would be in danger, and I’m not happy with that, but I can’t go alone, since there are easily five of them, all heavily armed with guns and silver.” I stopped pacing and sighed, scowling as ash dropped from the end of my cigarette, fluttering down into the grass below me. “If this were a game of chess, I’d be finding it hard to move any of my pieces. I feel like I’ll lose one however I move.” I felt stupidly helpless and even now I was thinking rationally, I had no idea how I could get Fate back without anyone else getting hurt.

"I'm afraid I can't be of much help, I'm rather lacking in the battle strategy department. But if you need someone to lend a hand, I'm in perfectly good shape." I looked up, touched by his offer.

“I couldn’t ask you to leave the others. They’ll need you, I’m sure.”

He nodded. "Probably. But you'll need me more if they're heavily armed, as you said.”

“I’ve lived this long. Transforming might hurt like a bitch for me, but I may as well be indestructible. These hunters knocked me out and then shot me, two normal bullets and one silver. If they thought that was going to kill me, then we’re dealing with hunters that have little experience.”

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?"

“Blame the ones that told me to calm down, then.” He chuckled, and I fell silent while I finished my cigarette.

"You can accept my help or not, but either way if you're going, I'm coming with you."

I smiled, “I accept, don’t doubt that for a second, Line. I’m just not sure what to do to get him back. I want to find out where they are first. Before we change tonight. And tomorrow, my head might be clear enough to think about how to get him back before they start trying to kill us.” He nodded. I lit another cigarette, feeling Line’s eyes on me. We might’ve been on opposing sides years ago, but now, we were on the same side, going after the same thing. It wasn’t really a war, but when it comes to your pack, I s’pose it might as well be.

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